Alice Neudorf

At Pioneer Ridge on Tuesday, 26th April, 2022, Alice Neudorf (Terttu Aliise Wallenuis), age 93, resident of Thunder Bay, peacefully left a life well lived. A remarkable woman, Alice was born July 10th, 1928 in Port Arthur, Ontario to parents Armida Haakila and John Wallenius who met in Canada. They emigrated from Finland to Canada.

Alice's early childhood was in Current River after which the family homesteaded in Pardee Township. Alice worked at home, in bush camps, and restaurants, at Canada Car Foundry during the latter part of WWII as a riveter on Hawker Hurricane production. She met her husband Arthur Neudorf (predeceased 1995) in Port Arthur. They made a family, five sons and a daughter, Arthur (predeceased in 1947), Garry, Clifford, Michael (predeceased in 1979) Rodney and Joanne. Moving and living at different places, notably Edmonton, Alberta, then Estevan and Wordsworth, Sask. where they started a mixed farm operation on 900 acres and then returning to family and the Lakehead, purchasing land in Pardee Township where they built a farm. Alice went back to school achieving High School equivalency through the Provincial Adult Education Program. She then enrolled at Confederation College graduating with Honours as a Registered Nurse's Aide (RNA). After graduation Alice was employed at Hogarth Sanitarium and Lakehead Psychiatric Hospital until retirement.

Throughout her life Alice was active in the social movement, first in the CCF and later in the NDP. She was part of Thunder Bay's “Ladies of the Left”. In later years she actively took part in and supported the Thunder Bay Unitarian Fellowship. She was a volunteer at Pioneer Ridge raising funds to purchase needed equipment and working in the kitchen. Alice was a supporter of the Memorial Society and remained a supporter when it transitioned to the Northwest Funeral Alternative. Alice was an expert knitter, gardener, loved literature and loved to travel. Alice's dedication to community and volunteer work was recognized in 2012 when she was awarded the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal. In pre and post-retirement her travels took her to Finland, Estonia, Russia, France, Germany, Switzerland, Nepal, Thailand, Brazil, Argentina, the United Kingdom, and many places in the USA and Canada.

In addition to her children, Alice is survived by her sister Ilona Brown, and her grandchildren Robert, Michael, Thelma, Hannah, Amy, Shanna, Justin, Vanessa and numerous great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. She is predeceased by her sister's Helena Haakila of Helsinki and Sally Bullough of Thunder Bay, her brothers Hans Wallenius, Bruno Wallenius and Wayne Wallenuis all of Thunder Bay.

A celebration of Alice's life is planned to be held in late August. The family requests that any donations that that friends wish to make in Alice's memory go to Wesway, Suite 210, 173 Victoria Ave East, Thunder Bay, P7C 1C8. This group provides respite caregiver relief services for those with children and adults who are developmentally or age vulnerable in Thunder Bay. Wesway provided excellent care for Alice when she was unable to remain in her home.

Condolences may be made through
www.nwfainc.com